PATRIOT POW WOW

4/4/16

PATRIOT POW WOW

4/4/16

This week we will be investigating the Montgomery Bus Boycott and writing opinion pieces. Remember to ask us about our learning.

Learners had a late "Easter Egg" hunt where their daily assessment was inside each egg. They worked with partners to justify which decimals were largest and to put them in order. We had a BLAST!

Welcome Sara Sanford from Alabama Dance Theatre

This will cumulate in a project to be preformed at the end of her residency with us.

"Hello, Patriots! I am so thrilled to be back working with Pike Road School as a collaborating artist. The atmosphere here is amazing, and I truly believe that this is one of the most advanced school programs in the state of Alabama. My life has always revolved around dance. I started when I was three years old! From the moment I put on my first pair of ballet slippers I was hooked. My love of dance only continued to evolve as I grew older. I realized that I could create my own steps and movement. I could tell my own stories through dance. As any growing artist I studied my craft. I went to countless conferences and studied closely under amazing mentors.

This program is all about working closely with the student and essentially introducing them to dance. Today for example we studied the elements of a Ballet. Some more topics discussed were:

The first week is a whirlwind of topics to basically just immerse ourselves in the wonderful world of dance and all that it entails. The program evolves as we continue on throughout the month. Very soon we will be getting up and moving around and beginning to explore our own artistry related to the current topic set forth by their teachers.

This program is immersive, and inspiring to be a part of. I truly enjoy watching the process and seeing how the children essentially take all that I give them into their own hands and make something very special. I can't wait for you guys to see it!

AT PRS...

6:00 – COMMUNITY VIEWING of MOST LIKELY TO SUCCESS documentary - ALL LEAD LEARNERS NEED TO ATTEND!

Wednesday, April 6:

Book Fair

Thursday, April 7:

Book Fair

What will your C4 Learner be working on this week? 4/3/16

SCIENCE:

*4:9 Examine evidence to support an argument that the internal and external structures of animals function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction.

History:

*This week we will be investigating the Montgomery Bus Boycott and writing opinion pieces. Remember to ask us about our learning.

*We will be exploring major differences between poetry, prose, and drama. We will do this be exploring poetry from WW2 and describing how it enhances the reader's experience of events. We will then compare it to a similar event in Number the Stars, where we will create a drama convention to display the events.

*Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic and SL

We will continue to read Number the Stars and we will be creating a 'Theme in a Bottle' we need 2l bottles to be brought into school this week. Look out for our creations on FreshGrade.

*We will continue to work on (R.F.4.3) our decoding skills using a text that explores the role of coding in WW2. We will work in Literature Circles and choose to explore the text using two roles of our choice. We will look at the work of artists at the time and consider the experience of Alabama troops in the trenches.

* Explain the impact the 1920s and Great Depression had on different socioeconomic groups in Alabama. Explain how supply and demand impacted economies of Alabama and the United States during the 1920s and the Great Depression.

Learners will be traveling back in time through a wormhole (via time-traveling train) in order to experience our chosen events, firsthand, alongside the historical characters and events we are going to research.

MATH:

*Recognize angles as geometric shapes that are formed wherever two rays share a common endpoint, and understand concepts of angle measurement.

APRIL 5 - JOIN US FOR A COMMUNITY VIEWING OF THE DOCUMENTARY MOST LIKELY TO SUCCEED This is a free event; however, we need everyone to register. The online registration is very simple and will only take a few minutes. Those that are registered will receive reminders about the event.

Take a moment and ask your learner what he or she is focusing their Genius Hour on!

What is Genius hour you might ask?

Genius hour allows learners to explore their own passions and encourages creativity in the classroom. It provides students a choice in what they learn during a set period of time during school. Learners are then challenged to explore something to do a project over that they want to learn about. They spend several weeks researching the topic before they start creating a product that will be shared with the class/school/world. Deadlines are limited and creativity is encouraged. Throughout the process the Lead Learner facilitates the projects to ensure that they are on task. Last, the learner presents to the class and is the "GENIUS" during that hour.

Math/Literacy/PE Schedule for March *We have several more field trips in the works, so we will update this each week!

Breakfast and Lunch Menu for March

CARPOOL BEGINS AT 7:30 A.M.

Patriot Parents,

We need your help. Please do not drop your child off before 7:30. If you need to utilize our early morning drop off program, it is available beginning at 7:00. The cost is $40 per month. Thank you for partnering with us to ensure your child's safety.

CHECKING OUT PRIOR TO DISMISSAL

Learning takes place at PRS every moment of the day. We understand there are circumstances that necessitate early check-out. If you are going to check out your child, please do so no later than 2:25 to prevent congestion and interruptions to our daily dismissal process. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding

The PTSA would like to put together a slide show of all the amazing activities and beautiful people that make PRS so awesome! If you have any pictures of our students and staff involved in various PRS activities, please email them to suzybow@gmail.com by February 1, 2016. Thank you!

COME JOIN US FOR BREAKFAST ON FRIDAYS!

We are in the beginning stages of launching Pike Road Papas. This is an opportunity for Dads to get involved in the lives of our students. In conjunction with Pike Road Papas, we are inviting families to breakfast every Friday morning. You can eat with your children and with others who tend to gather around visiting Dads and Moms. Come share your family's love with the Pike Road Family.

Example: "I read in your email that you are learning about speed and energy, what activities did you do to learn about this? Which activity did you enjoy the most? Can you tell me how speed and energy are related?" Ask them what their "TWEET FOR THE DAY" would be if they were going to sum up their day. This is a few powerful, but brief words about their day.

*READ! READ! READ!

Find something your child is passionate about and fuel that passion by encouraging them to read about it. The more they read, the more they will learn new vocabulary words. Get the to describe what they've read to you in detail. You might even read a book together and discuss it.

UPCOMING EVENTS

April 4 at 6:00 p.m. – School Board Meeting

April 5-7 – Book Fair

April 5 at 8:00 a.m. PTSA Board Meeting

April 5 at 6:00 – COMMUNITY VIEWING of MOST LIKELY TO SUCCESS documentary – PLEASE MAKE ARRANGEMENT TO BE THERE!

April 10 – Britney Fureigh’s Birthday

April 18 -22 – ACT Aspire

April 25 – Professional Learning Day – No School for Students

April 29 – Field Day for K-6

May 2 at 8:00 a.m. – PTSA Board Meeting

May 2-6 Lead Learner Appreciation Week

May 2 at 1:00 – Secretary of State John Merrill talking with C4 learners and possibly touring PRS

2016 BASEBALL SCHEDULE

2016 SOCCER SCHEDULE

THE MONTGOMERY MUSIC PROJECT - SUMMER CAMP

The Montgomery Music Project Summer Camp Registration is open now through May 15th. The Summer Camp is a two-week intensive day camp open to all current and new participants throughout Montgomery and the River Region. A variety of courses and activities aim to reinforce concepts learned during the school year, explore new topics, perform publicly, and provide a safe, educational environment for children during the summer. This year's summer camp will run Monday-Friday, 10am-3pm, July 11-July 22, 2016. They will be meeting at First United Methodist Church (2416 W Cloverdale Park, Montgomery, AL 36106).Tuition for the camp is $400 for the first child, $300 for each additional sibling(s).Scholarships covering up to 95% of tuition are available.Registration and a non-refundable deposit of $15/child are due no later than May 15th.Enrollment will be capped, so apply today!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

What is Edmodo?

Learners and Lead Learners can reach out to one another and connect by sharing ideas, problems, and helpful tips. A lead learner can assign and assess work on Edmodo; students can GET and GIVE feedback from the entire class on Edmodo. Ask your child about "Two STARS and a WISH." Think of it as a "walled garden" where collaboration and learning can take place in a safe environment.

What is Fresh Grade?

"As parents, we know everything about our children’s habits. We know what gives them nightmares and why at 4:00pm they get a bit cranky. We know it all, right? Nothing is more important to us than our child’s development, yet we have a blind spot – the classroom.

FreshGrade gives parents a window into the classroom through a secure digital portfolio for your child. Capturing their learning as it happens, and tracking their progress." It also increases communication and collaboration between parents, learners and Lead Learners through digital portfolios.

How can my child move from "not meeting expectations to meeting expectations? While we continue to support and facilitate you child's learning during the school day, you can help at home too. Work with your learner on areas where they are struggling by using the individual Lead Learner feedback (that was given specifically to you child) on Fresh Grade to facilitate their learning at home. Once your child feels they are ready to be re-assessed, just have them drop us and email.

How can I understand what the standard is asking and where can I get extra resources for the standards?

Below is a link to the Alabama Learning Exchange (ALEX) website that you can use to get both the explanation of the standard AND resources to go along with them. It will also help you go above and below the 4th grade standard.